Jordan Green gets his kicks (and more) on Route 66

I’ve been a Route 66 “junkie” for most of my life. At the ripe old age of 8, I can remember asking my paternal grandparents to take me up and down Route 66 all the time. Riding around on the Mother Road was always a joy as a child. But as I got older, I didn’t find the time go “cruising” like I used to.

That changed for the better last week.

In my last column, I talked about my maternal grandparents’ 50th wedding anniversary, which took place near my hometown of Sayre, OK. What I didn’t talk about, however, was how I got to the reunion. This is that story.

Friday, July 12, I set out for Western Oklahoma. Sayre, which is located on Route 66, is about four hours away from Blackwell – on the interstate, that is.

But I didn’t take the interstate.

I left Blackwell in the morning, and I pulled into Oklahoma City that afternoon. When I arrived, I stopped to grab a bite at Ann’s Chicken Fry House in Bethany. Ann’s, located on Route 66, serves the best chicken fried steak in Oklahoma. As a matter of fact, USA TODAY has twice named it the best place in the Sooner State to get the delectable dish.

The food is awesome, but the restaurant itself is even cooler. Out front, a pink Cadillac covered with neon lights directs weary, hungry travelers toward the state's Chicken Fried Steak Capital. In the parking lot, a vintage police car – complete with lights and a dummy in the backseat – makes for an interesting point of observation.

Inside the restaurant, old signs and vinyl records cover the faux brick wall, and 50s music plays softly over the loudspeakers. The experience of going to Ann’s is more than one of tasty food; it is the encapsulation of everything that makes up America’s Main Street.

It was the perfect way to start my journey.

After leaving Ann’s, I hopped back on “Ole Double-Six” and took her west. My next stop was in the town of Yukon, where I saw “Yukon’s Best Flour Mill.” Then, El Reno, where I briefly toured the town’s museum.

From El Reno, I went westward towards the town of Hydro. That’s where the famous Provine Station still stands today as a testament to the woman who became known as “The Mother of the Mother Road.” Lucille Hammons owned the gas station until she passed away in the 1990s, and she was always willing to help out travelers in need. Today, the station has been renovated, and it’s a popular stop for tourists like myself.

After Hydro, I set out for Clinton, where I was able to catch a glimpse of the state’s Route 66 Museum. This was a neat place to see, but it wasn’t the coolest part of the journey.

Once I left Clinton, I drove through the tiny town of Canute. By the time I reached Canute, the sun was beginning to set, and the air was growing cooler. I rolled down my windows, turned on some old music, and cruised the rest of the way to Elk City, where I would be staying the night. I wasn’t alive in the 1950s, but I did my best to recreate the feeling of how driving down Route 66 would have been back in the heydays of Americana.

The further west I went on Route 66, the more I began to notice just how beautiful the road is. The bends and curves in the road give it a personality of its own. As you sail through tall, red hills and lush, green pastures, you begin to see just what made the highway so special. As I drove down the old road, I could hear the joints in the roadway as my tires passed over them. They make a distinct “clicking” sound where pieces of the road meet, fastened together like patches on Grandma’s quilt.

Traveling down that road, you begin to see a side of nature – and of the world around you – that you aren’t afforded when you zip past it on the interstate.

Looking back on my two-lane journey, I've come to realize that life shouldn’t always be a “rat race.” We’re all busy people, and in some cases, that’s out of necessity. But at the same time, we need to make time for ourselves to slow down and relax a little bit. That day, I was able to learn something: Life isn’t all about getting somewhere fast; it’s about enjoying the journey there.

This week, make time to slow down and enjoy where you’re going. And if you want to drive Route 66 and get some good chicken fried steak, give me a call.